The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-17

cious classes are going to heaven at last,
they don't want to go there.
But what an amazing lack of thought,
as well as of right Christian feeling, is
thus betrayed; and how greatly in need
of enlightenment as to the very first
principles of the doctrine of Christ, are
thousands of the people still in our
civilized quarter of the earth, besides
many, even of the reputed teachers of
the people in religion. If everybody
could but clearly see what heaven is,
and what the act of coming into heaven
implies, no one would ever be heard to
utter a sentiment of so foolish and
heartless a character for what is
heaven ? 1t is goodness, holiness, love,
good will, sympathy, compassion, meek
ness, kindness, helpfulness, ministry
in word, righteousness and peace and
JOY in the Holy Spirit. To come into
heaven, therefore, is to come into the
suplemely right state of life, indicated
by the above mentioned attributes
and when everybody is in heaven, that
exalted condition of life is the state in
which all are, no wrong or evil Of any
kind remaining in the mind or hearts of
single individual.
Now only think how supremacy de-
sirable such a final state is for beings
created in the divine image, and how
earnest and fervent and constant, must
be the prayer of every Christ-born
soul for the universal realization of this
state, through the advancement of
every sinful soul from the state of wick
eduess in which we all at first are,
leach in one degree or another), to the
state of final righteousness and true
holiness for which we all are made and
designed by infinite love, wisdom and
power.
Now just consider all this, and then
see what man implies by his speech,
when he says, "If everybody is going to
heaven l don't want to go there" If
such person will but look at the mat
ter closely and candidly, he will soon
see that by this speech he actually says,
in effect, eff everybody is going to be-
come good at last, don't want to be
good )" elf all are finally going to come
to a knowledge of the truth and be
saved at last, l don't want to come to a
knowledge of the truth, and be saved !;
''if all 1.-THE many are to be made right
eous in the end, don't want to be
made righteous - "if everybody is
finally going to reform and turn from sin
to righteousness, don't want ever to
reform and turn from sin to righteous
ness )" ''if everybody, during the prog
ress of the divine rule over all, is going
to forsake sin, 1 don't want to forsake
sin )" ''if everybody is going to be made
alive in Christ, 1 don't want to be made
alive in Christ" "if everybody is going
to be united to God at last, don't want
ever to be united to God ;" ''if every
body is going to come into the life of
perfect love to God and man at last, ]
don't want to come into perfect love to
God and man ;''-in fact, eff 1 can't
have better treatment in the end than
other sinners, if and my sort can't re-
ceive more consideration than a certain
other class of my fellow sinners, I'll
rebel against the divine arrangement
for am not going to be classed among
the common herd"
Henry Ward Beecher once truly said
that though one might at first view
suppose that all would naturally look
with favor on the sweet prophecy OF
the final salvation of all souls, the fact
was as yet otherwise; and the believers
in this sublime faith are still in very
small minority, because the great mass
es of men are at present so selfish that
they could not enjoy heaven themselves
without knowing that some others were
in hell.
Mr.. Beecher struck a keynote in this
utterance. Selfshness is, indeed, at
the very core of all partialistic theology;
but the true knowledge of Universal
ism tends nightly to remove this sell
fishness, and to so unite the heart of
the believer to the heart of humanity
|
in general, that the very thought of an
exclusive heaven becomes repulsive to
his soul. Therefore, how important
that Universalism be preached every
where, with all earnestness and pa
thence and perseverance, that men may
grow everywhere into the knowledge of
the truth, and into the impartial love
of God and humanity. JIM.
WE'LL, we have one sympathetic
friend and no mistakal Hare ia a little